Page 37 of Cruel Hearts

Chapter 14

I stood in that paddock like a scarecrow looking for signs of Father Neapolitan’s return. Cold wind blew across my clammy skin. I pulled my hood back over my head and wiped off the droplets of sweat that had gathered on my brow during the…

How could I describe it? A tantrum, intimidation, or attempted murder? Moments ago it felt like he wanted to wipe my existence off the face of Templar.

“Shit.” I stared into the empty track. Only the sound of wind rustling in the distant woods was my answer.

The clouds parted further, letting in the light. The barest specks of snow swirled in the wind, but enough had settled on the ground to blanket it in white. My boots made a satisfying crunch on the frost as I took the long route back through the paddock, which avoided the kennels and the dogs’ infernal barking.

I needed to find Mr. Burgh and find out what the hell Father Neapolitan had said to him. It had to have been something really terrible. I reached under my hood and scratched my head. The statute of limitations on debts was six years. Maybe the same applied to rape, and the priest tried to throw this in Mr. Burgh’s face.

The sound of approaching hoofbeats broke me out of my thoughts. I raised my head to find a rider in black galloping toward me on a white horse.

A shiver of apprehension ran down my spine. I wasn’t supposed to cut through paddocks, but there was no telling if Father Neapolitan would return in his car.

“You there,” shouted a familiar voice.

As she came close, I groaned and continued walking but it was no use. Elizabeth overtook me in seconds and pointed her horse whip between my eyes. “You’re trespassing.”

I batted the offending item out of my face. “And you planted crap in my room, got me arrested, and stole my dress.”

Elizabeth smirked. “I’d like to see you prove it.”

Her horse blew out a long, snorting breath accompanied by a huge cloud of condensation.

Clenching my teeth, I continued across the paddock toward the driveway that led to the academy and the headmaster’s quarters. “Maybe I’ll do more than that.”

By now, Kendrick might have caught up with those two boys and discovered why Elizabeth had given them the stolen collection money.

Yanking on her reins, the wretched rider circled around me on her white horse, looking like a harbinger of the apocalypse.

“What do you mean?” she shouted over the horse’s neigh of protest.

“Haven’t you got anything better to do?” I snapped. “If you were in a car, this would be curb-crawling.”

“That would make sense, since you’re a whore.” She leaned toward me, emphasizing the last word.

Irritation fizzled across my skin. “Why aren’t you in your country manor having Sunday lunch with mater and pater? Have they disowned you for passing off your mother’s wedding dress as your own creation?” I tapped my chin and glanced skyward. “Or maybe they were disgusted by your flagrant misuse of police resources to settle a schoolgirl vendetta.”

Elizabeth bared her teeth. “What would a guttersnipe like you know about family?”

“Not as much as a spoiled princess who uses hers as a crutch to get through life.” My hands curled into fists, and I trudged onwards, the driveway getting closer with each step. In a hundred feet, I’d be free of this wench.

“How dare you?” She raised her horse whip.

Before she could land a strike, I grabbed her by the jacket and dragged her off the horse. With a shriek, Elizabeth fell to the ground. The horse bolted across the paddock, leaving her without a mount. As I landed a hard kick in her stomach. Elizabeth made a twisting, scissoring movement with her legs and brought me down.

I dropped on my side like a felled log and met her furious, blue eyes.

“You bitch.” She yanked at my hair.

“Fuck off.” My fist landed straight in Elizabeth’s pasty face. Her head snapped back, and the air filled with a banshee cry.

If this was Richley, I’d have straddled her chest and pummeled the acne off her face, but the Board of Governors had already put me on suspension. One more Elizabeth-related misdemeanor and I’d have to kiss Templar academy goodbye.

With a pang of regret, I placed my palms on the frosty ground to push myself up, but Elizabeth dove onto my back like a WWE wrestler.

“I hate you.” Her grimy hands wove into my hair, and she slammed my face into the cold, hard soil. “Whore!”